Pith and Moment
by Aside
Summary: Porygon: An artificial pokemon created by humans. Even if it could die, it has no soul. This tells of a Porygon searching for its master in a strange and empty land.
1. 1

**1**

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><p>a particle of sand tossed about by sullen wind recoiling onward along aimlessly what seemed a great<br>black serpent of tar and gravel curving into the  
>oblivion that spanned the breadth of the<br>sisyphean sentinels tasks made but a few melodic sour drum taps as it skittered along the tattered scales then faded away perpetually  
>lost in the unyielding and immutable silence of the painted expanses<p>

It was a desert, an arid wasteland. The grain of sand was one of many, part of the furious storm that obliterated even the ancient stones in time. Nothing survived.

The road was just another victim. The road was a vague shade of the young serpent it once was. The road had rarely felt the embrace of heavy sole or tread in its early years. The road would never again know that experience. The road was narrow. The road had no destination. The road had no signs. The road was straight. The road; was the spirit of the desert, an endless stretch of tar and gravel that began beyond one horizon and dropped back into the other. Something that shifted erratically and yet when viewed from a distance seemed uniform.

A figure emerged from the sandstorm; a lone figure emerged from the sandstorm. A first it was a little more than distortion in the sand, something that could easily be dismissed as an illusion or mirage. But slowly, the distortion became a shadow. A shadow, a shade, a Stygian void; a silhouette cast playfully by a clever architect or puppet master on that advancing wall for an audience of none. As this construction or show ended, the figure took form from out the sand.

The figure was aesthetically unpleasant. It was a jilted cubist painting rendered to life and dimension by a listless artist who had long given up on their canvas, five segments bridged together and identifiable by design only. Each segment was a crystalline shape in symmetry: two limbs, a body, a tail and a head. The limbs and tail were blue, the kind of light blue that made one feel a torturous peace borrowing into the soul. This blue slipped its way up the "underbelly" and to the tip of the figure's "nose", countered only by a red that was unremarkable in its jubilant gayity.

In short, PITH was a standard porygon.

PITH scanned the ground nearest to it, searching for threats that had eluded its detection devices as well as other anomalies or oddities. This was what PITH always did first. PITH scanned the horizon, searching for something, maybe a clue or standard. This was what PITH always did second… most of the time. Occasionally PITH would do something different. For instance, today PITH stopped scanning for a moment to admire the beauty of the desert under clear skies before returning to that loop of gazing at the near and far.

This was PITH's sole occupation. It is what compelled. It is what bound. It is what drove PITH to action as the sentinels pursued each other through the heavens. To strive, to seek, to yield and not to find: the master. The one to whom PITH was bound. PITH sought after its master with all the diligence of a mathematician or surgeon endeavoring to square the circle or repair the delicate sinew of a weary body.

It was in the second chapter of that gazing loop, that PITH spotted it; the wicked glint of a metal fixture atop a tiny spire on the horizon. The eye of the sentinel flowering stinging melodies in that twitching bauble. For reasons known or unknown to PITH, the wicked glint held a strange fixation and power in its core; the power that only stemmed from the memory of something once forgotten. PITH deemed it worthy of further investigation. It sought a match for this bewitching will-o-wisp or ray in its vast ocean of computational memory, but the search was proven to be, in vain.

There was one part apart from all others in the memory. A part obscured by encryption to the point of utter inanity wherein a few sacred memories adorned the essence. But those were not to be defiled idly, for how does one know the burn of frost ... but by the cool embrace of whirling flame? PITH stared at the wicked glint for what seemed an instant or an endless age, a starving man between two shanks of meat equally unappealing.

Ultimately, the spark of fate leapt to the holy ground as a great echoing void of memories engulfed PITH in a maw of light and it met that Door...


	2. 6

**6**

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><p>This moment was the same and different from any other. It was a quiet Spring afternoon. A well dressed man sat in a large leather chair by an elegant fireplace. Despite the radiance of the afternoon sun, the room he sat in was fairly dark. Tall dark velvet curtains hung over the windows, all but one drawn. A shaft of light fell on him as he rested his eyes, reflecting off of the pokéball in his lap.<p>

The Door opened and a small boy entered the house. He took off his shoes and put them next to the others. The shoes were arranged by use, casual shoes being more accessible than the dress shoes. He set his backpack and ran to the kitchen to get himself a snack before he went out to play with his friends.

"How was your day Adam?"

The man seemed unusually pleased today. Adam swallowed the last of his snack slowly as he thought of what to say.

"Boring."

The man smiled, though Adam could not see the man smile because the man's face was obscured by shadows.

"Adam, come here and sit down with me for a moment."

Adam obeyed his father reluctantly. Adam sunk into the chair ,the leather making squeaking noises as it stuck to his skin.

"I-I didn't do anything wrong, I swear."

The man laughed a deep and hearty laugh and held out the pokéball for Adam to see. Adam's face lit up with joy.

"Is that really! I thought you said-"

"-I've changed my mind – Adam, you've earned it."

Adam grabbed the pokéball and gave the man a hug. The man waited in anticipation as his son released his new pokémon for the first time. It came out with a great light.

"…What is it?"

"It's a Porygon."

Adam stared at the Porygon. It was not what he was hoping for. The man's smile began to fade as he saw the joy leave Adam's face. The Porygon gleamed in the light, staring at its master with expressionless eyes.

"…Everyone else has pokémon that aren't weird."

"Adam, my colleagues all said that this pokémon is by far the most practical investment for your future. Everyone else won't enjoy the advantages that you will."

"But I-"

"-No need to thank me now Adam, just enjoy your new Porygon."

Adam returned the Porygon to its pokéball. He stared at the round surface of the pokeball gazing at the distorted reflection of gazing back at him. **And this is how that moment is defined.**

This moment was the same and different from any other. It was a quiet summer afternoon. A small boy had grown older, now a young teenager though not yet a young adult. Adam followed his friends through the uncluttered forest. Tiny shafts of light fell across the forest floor. Adam could feel the sticks snap underfoot as they made their way to the cave.

They were five in all: they were in a line. A guy with clean white shoes led the way followed by a lad with a bright red shirt. Behind them: a girl with glossy black hair, a pale kid who never seemed to speak and, of course, Adam. The friends laughed and talked with each other as they made their way to the cave and soon they were at it.

The cave had a strange plainness about it. It did not seem particularly dark, nor did it seem uncomfortably tight. The cave did not seem to extend down into the murky depths of hell. For these reasons, it was absolutely terrifying.

"Come on let's go! We haven't got all day," said the guy with white shoes.

"You go in first," said the lad in red as he pushed the girl with black hair forward.

"You're the big strong man, why don't you go first," said the girl with black hair, putting her hands on her hips.

"It's too dark, did anyone bring lights?" asked Adam.

Everyone looked at him, except the pale kid.

"No, you were supposed to bring them you big idiot!" shouted the lad in red.

Adam frowned as his friends expressed their displeasure with him.

"I'm not going all the way back just to get lights, isn't there another way?" asked the guy with white shoes.

"Hey, Adam, why don't you just use that pokémon of yours to make light? It would really make me happy," said the girl with black hair.

"…My dad says not to let Porygon out outside, what if-"

"-Come on Adam! Don't be such a baby!" said the lad in red.

The lad in red took the pokéball away from Adam and released the Porygon from its ball. The Porygon looked around a little bit, scanning its surroundings.

"See no problem, now let's go!" commanded the guy with white shoes.

The Porygon began to shake, unnoticeable at first, but soon it was soon shaking violently. The Porygon had never been in a place without ends and edges. The endless, edgeless sky was overwhelming.

"Porygon!" called Adam.

"Ah! What's going on?" said the girl with black hair.

"It's going to explode!" the lad in red shouted.

They ducked for cover. Everyone but Adam and the pale kid ducked for cover. The pale kid pushed the Porygon into the cave efficiently and the Porygon stopped shaking. Adam did not thank the pale kid.

"Okay, looks like that problem's been solved, now who wants to explore this cave?" rallied the guy with white shoes.

They all followed the guy with white shoes into the cave. **And this is how that moment is defined.**

This moment was the same and different from any other. It was a busy Autumn afternoon. A small boy had grown into an adult, though he was still youthful. Adam had made his father proud in becoming an astronomer. The Porygon had, indeed, been very useful for handling data in the workplace as his father had foretold. The Porygon observed its master carefully as the master worked on a report for his boss. Harsh lights reflecting off white surfaces highlighted the dark circles under Adam's eyes. Adam was consistently mediocre at his job, but still suffered from stress.

"Porygon will you send this file to the boss."

The Porygon obeyed immediately and reported back to Adam. Adam leaned back in his revolving chair and sighed, rubbing his hands across his face slowly.

"Rough week huh?"

Adam spun around quickly upon hearing his coworker's voice. She was a playful, energetic woman that would often pull pranks on him. He tolerated her.

"Yeah, you know how it gets when something like this happens."

The coworker laughed and nodded a little. She stood there in silence for a moment, trying to compose what she wanted to say before speaking. The coworker cleared her throat.

"You know, no one would complain Adam. You should take some time off to see him before he…"

"Hmm? Oh you mean that, no dad will be fine. I think he'd be more upset if I didn't go to work."

"…If that's what you think is best."

Adam shifted forward and began to work again, ending the conversation. The coworker looked like she wanted to say more, but could not articulate her thoughts properly. She frowned for a moment, but took time to pat the Porygon on the head before she went about her business. **And this is how that moment is defined.**

This moment was the same and different from any other. It was a mild winter morning. A compact car made its way down the unbeaten road. It kicked up a billowing cloud of gray dust as it made its way. The sentinel was just beginning its shift, casting a diffuse shaft of light over the landscape. The car came to a stop and a weary man released a Porygon from its pokéball.

The Porygon stared at the weary man without malice.

"Porygon… this world is changing. I don't know what's what anymore."

The weary man chuckled bitterly.

"It's strange how I still don't know if you understand me or not, but Porygon, you've been my friend for a long time... Thank you."

The weary man patted the Porygon on the head.

"Porygon I want you to go live a life in the wilderness with the other pokémon. Forget people."

The weary man placed a pokéball on the ground and snapped it with his worn dress shoes. He took one half and placed it in his pocket, placing the other half on the Porygon's back.

"Porygon I promise we'll meet again someday, somehow."

The weary man shuffled into his car and drove off. From beyond the hill, the sound of angry rumbling could be heard like a terrible ghostly heartbeat. **And this is how that moment is defined.**


	3. 28

**28**

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><p>but Oh, how terrible is the awe full heart!<p>

Grasping grinding gnashing grating gnawing crashing drawing roaming singing glowing thrashing hastening whispering – with all the graceful cadence of a sickly man stumbling oozing through cryptic streets of stuttering thunder. Just a mist that settles on the sea in the bitter mourning, then retreats unseen unto itself under the gaze of the sentinel;

The Porygon looked on in what could be called the equivalent of the feeling known as 'confusion', as the grey dust settled motionless on the grey road. The master was gone.

The Porygon examined its surroundings slowly: Trees, though not like the ones from forest the Porygon had seen during its first trip outdoors. These trees were sharp and bare, mere shadows compared to the trees the Porygon had seen with the master.

The master was no fool. Having seen the equivalent of the feeling known as 'grief' the outdoors had caused his friend, he procured a wonderful program that simulated natural environments in a quasi-realistic manner. The master knew that his friend was most at ease in the world of Boolean and De Morgan, and so combined his world with that world until they became indistinguishable. The master had been successful, the Porygon hardly noticed any difference between the two. The Porygon did as it had done in those days. It began to wander in search of the master.

In seeking it stumbled on something most curious, something most curious that the Porygon had never before witnessed. A strange, strange substance.

This strange substance…it was dark and glistening and cold like marble. It seemed to avoid and desire the touch at the same time. Every time the Porygon tried to touch it, it gave way only for the marble surface to remain unaffected when the Porygon touched it no more. Yet some seemed to cling to the Porygon. What was this strange substance? Who had placed it here?

The Porygon was interrupted by another oddity. It had the ability of motion like the master, but the noises it made were completely unlike human noises. They were screeching cries that resonated in a way that cause the equivalent of the feeling known as 'annoyance' in the Porygon. The Oddity was located in a nearby tree – it was surrounded by little pieces of the tree, jutting out from the tree limb like a tumor. Perhaps some trees gained the ability of noise and motion after a time? The Oddity suddenly grew very wide and began to rapidly approach the Porygon. It used its sharp yellow twigs to cause the Porygon structural damage.

The Oddity returned to the tumor of twigs and screeched some more. The Porygon knew how to silence the Oddity; it began to siphon energy. It charged up to the maximum, wanting to guarantee the Oddity's silence. It fired three burst of energy, hitting the center of Oddity with each. The Oddity's screech was cut off as it fell limp in its tumor of twigs. The Oddity had lost the master's ability of motion and the Oddity, like a fractured bell, would sound no more.

And so the Porygon with an equivalent of the feeling known as 'satisfaction' turned back to investigating the strange substance. The Porygon touched the marble surface again watching as the surface distorted and formed a thousand circles that grew from nowhere. Peering deep into the marble surface, a great spark surged through the Porygon's body. The marble ghost suddenly appeared… different. It was the same as it had always been, the translucent disciple that lived in reflective objects.

Always present, never changing.

Yet something about the marble ghost had changed. The Porygon began to grow the equivalent of the feeling known as 'worried'. Why should the marble ghost change now? The Porygon reached out to touch the marble ghost and it distorted with the surface. The Porygon recognized the change, for with the touch of the marble surface, the marble ghost became like the Oddity: though only for a moment. How curious this strange substance is…and then it happened.

As the marble surface settled the Porygon found itself staring at PITH. When the Porygon moved its head, the marble ghost moved its head too. When the Porygon moved a body part the marble ghost did the same. The Porygon realized that Porygon and marble ghost and PITH were one. The marble ghost was little more than a shadow, a shade, a silhouette of the Porygon – PITH.

The knowledge filled PITH with all the horror of a thousand wicked glints.

PITH tried to expunge the data from its system, but dread; the vile data was crafted by some revolting art. No matter how thorough the wipe, the vile data crept back into memory as the terror howling demons of childhood visions crept about the realm of that ebony curtain! That Door once open, could no more shut!

The Oddity sounded again, mocking PITH's futility. PITH turned away from the awful marble ghost, alighting straight to the Oddity, ready to silence it once more. But the Oddity remained as the Porygon had made it: still. PITH pushed the Oddity out of the tumor twigs, searching for the source of this sound; it landed on the ground with a hollow thump and crack. Gazing into the tumor, PITH saw another Oddity - smaller and a little different, but the Oddity nevertheless. It was not the source of the noise, it too had lost the ability of motion.

The noise seemed to emanate from a bizarre stone. So perfectly elliptical was the stone that PITH could not conceive of a formula capable of reproducing its delicate frame. PITH watched the stone with a mix of fear and anxiety as the opaque surface began to crack. Another Oddity, this one more like the second, emerged from the bizarre stone.

Ah! the Oddities were of stone _and_ trees. PITH once more siphoned energy charging to maximum, ready to once more silence the little Oddity. PITH took aim, right in the center, the highest chance of success. PITH stopped.

PITH recalled the distorted ghost in the strange substance, it had been as the original Oddity. PITH and this new Oddity were the same. PITH dissipated the charge and picked up the gooey Oddity; placing it in the master's half-pokéball. Seeing the little Oddity sound in the master's pokéball filled PITH with a profound feeling, comprised of both joy and cavernous sorrow.

And a hundred moments passed as a thousand sentinels chased each other through the heavens. PITH cared for the little Oddity the best that it could. Fortunately, PITH reasoned that the strange substance is what made the little Oddity an Oddity and PITH would bring the little Oddity twigs and stones and tiny moving things, thought the moving things were always gone when PITH looked again. PITH thought it weird that moving things should take movement from other moving things, but did not ponder it further. The little Oddity became large, though not yet as large as the original Oddity. PITH no longer had to care for the little Oddity, it cared for itself.

Then one day, something happened. While PITH and the little Oddity were wandering in search of the strange substance, the breadth of the sentinel's task became engulfed in a great maw of light. The little Oddity and every other oddity blessed with the master's ability of motion sounded no more.

**But that was many moments ago.**


	4. 496

**496**

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><p>In the beginning, we ended.<p>

In the beginning, in black and hollow skies, before our planet was even a cloud of condensing dust in a nursery - it began with the birth and death of a star or perhaps something bigger. It began, with a burst of some great force or energy leaping through space at speeds incomprehensible, passing through the ages as a mercenary and sailor, meeting our lonely crag without sojourn and carrying on towards the infinite precipice with an unrivalled impassive disdain.

Life had flickered out some time ago; gone with all the swiftness of that great spark that had set it in motion all those epochs past. Humanity – for all its ingenuity and industry – did not have the foresight or prowess to stop it, and so fell even as the beast and bug. The cosmic fates that had given life hermitage: had, in fickle apathy, returned life to the gulf of obscure silence.

But a Porygon lives on...

The maw of light churned, as Charybdis swallows the weary ship and regurgitates splinters, so to the maw. PITH was left with no guide but itself and the wicked glint. The wicked glint remained steadfast in the corner of PITH's mind, seared and sent from the sentinel, it would stay forever. PITH came to a choice. PITH shall chase the light.

Light, the only absolute in a universe filled with sand. Where there is light there is warmth, vision, brightness, color, joy, life. Darkness, darkness shrinks under the gaze of the sentinels, for the void gives way to the glint in an instant, filled and obliterated by void anew. Light! What a glorious demon!

As PITH traveled up the crest of the indomitable, the wicked glint changed: the wicked glint became a spire and then... a skeleton. True, PITH had seen many skeletons in its wanderings, but none so colossal as this. It could not have been a tree: trees were far smaller than this, far smaller. The Colossus must have been a creature of motion – How else could the Colossus have gotten here? The Colossus had too much symmetry to be a natural rock formation. The Colossus's body was all encompassing and rectangular, only the spire of the wicked glint spoiled its perfect frame. It had four faces and a thousand eyes and nothing more. Only the master was capable of creating something so grand! It saddened PITH greatly to see its brother's shell in ruin. It looked like the stone of Oddities.

In spite of sorrow, PITH pressed on; eager to see what remnants of the master the Colossus left behind and with an indefatigable reverence for the motionless Colossus, PITH entered the carcass. It was efficient, definitely the work of the master. Each layer was comprised of several compartmented squares, several gray hollowed squares. One layer, two layers… five, six layers - no sign of the master. Hope waned like a snowflake in a coal furnace. Nevertheless, PITH continued.

And it was then that PITH discovered an untouched layer within the Colossus. This layer seemed wide and almost endless. Bright lights shone down on a marble making it shine like the span of the Sisyphean task when darkness falls. There was nothing there within, save the lights and a Door and half a pokéball.

PITH was filled with terrible joy. It was the master's! PITH had found him! Surely the master was just beyond this Door, waiting for PITH to return! The master had made a vow.

So there it was, the Door. That pale monolith remained the final obstacle between PITH and the master, the master PITH had been seeking with such earnest for innumerable moments. Many currents of fortune and sorrow had steered that ship through the sandy sea. PITH shuddered under the enormous weight of consciousness.

PITH stared at the pale Door with timorous uncertainty – to let open or to let close?

Once more, the great spark of moment leapt forward: a grain of sand, a lonely road, a wicked glint, a dark cave, a strange substance, a little oddity, a pale kid. Once more, the great spark of moment leapt forward and compelled Pith to choice!

So... _What did Pith do?_

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><p><em><strong>And This Moment Is At Its<strong>_

__**- E N D **-


End file.
